The Japanese and British foreign and defense ministers agreed on Thursday to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to halt its nuclear and missile development, while working to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific" region amid China's maritime assertiveness.

According to a statement released after the so-called two-plus-two talks in London, the ministers hailed the formulation of a first-ever action plan laying out specific efforts to enhance bilateral security ties. They also agreed to continue studying the development of a new air-to-air missile by working on a prototype.

The talks were attended by Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera from Japan and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson from Britain. It was the third two-plus-two meeting between the two countries, with the most recent one held in January last year in Tokyo.